Persona: Scenario N
by Kizoku Seishin
Summary: Instead of being a six-year-old child, Nanako is ten years older and becomes a member of the Investigation Team. She becomes involved in the mystery, as well the antics and mayhem they engage. (With character appearances from Persona 1, Persona 2-EP, and Persona 3.)
1. Arrival

Before the story begins, I must say the disclaimers and policy. Every disclaimer and policy will cover this, and all chapters afterward, so it will _appear_ _once_.

 _Ownership Disclaimer_ :

Atlus Co., Ltd. (which is now a subsidiary of Sega Games Co., Ltd.) is the sole proprietor of _Persona 4_ , the _Persona_ series, the _Shin Megami Tensei_ series, and all characters and concepts created for those games. This disclaimer exists to acknowledge the aforementioned information, and that the author of this story is not receiving any monetary compensation for writing this fan fiction, thereby avoiding potential civil litigation in Japan and the United States.

 _Rating Disclaimer_ :

 _Persona: Scenario N_ is also rated M for similar reasons why the games are rated M, including blood, violence, sexual themes, alcohol usage and language.

If you are offended by any of the above, you should avoid this story ... and the _Persona_ series as a whole.

 _Pairing / Shipping Policy_ :

I have decided the pairings for the story. I rather not give that away now because that would spoil the story. However, I am aware that some people will not read a story if the pairing is not their preference.

If you _must_ know the pairings before you continue, log on to this website and send a PM requesting the pairings.

Okay, no more disclaimers! Time to start the story!

* * *

Chapter 1: Arrival

\- - - April 11, 2011 - - - 12:00 PM - - - Iwatodai Station - - -

"This is it," a teenager with silver hair said to two people inside a train station and gave a sincere smile. The first person was a man with similar silver hair to him, while the second person was a teenage girl wearing glasses on a train platform inside a station. "Time for a new experience in a new town."

"Wish we didn't have to do this Yu," a man, also with silver hair, said as he rubbed his temples. "We were in this town for less than a year, but the boss needs us overseas."

"Don't worry about it Dad," Yu said with a formal tone as he adjusted the cuff of his shirt. "I know—"

"Your mom and I considered letting you stay here, or live in a dorm," the man interrupted respectfully as his forehead furrowed. "We know you are responsible, but she insisted that you stay with family."

"I understand where mom is coming from," Yu said as he waved it off.

"Your mom is on the plane to New York right now," Yu's father said. "She will give you a call once she arrives. I'm going to finish packing at the apartment before I leave for London tomorrow."

Yu nodded quickly.

"Don't lose the house key," Yu's dad continued with amusement in his voice as his smile broadened. "The company is paying the mortgage while we are overseas. We'll be back in the same place when everything is over."

Yu nodded again as a smile surfaced, remembering that the company was also paying for his school tuition at Inaba, as well as all of the moving expenses going to and from Inaba and the mortgage of the house.

"Your mom and I grew up in Inaba," Yu's father said with an unexpected grin as he reflected on various memories. "It doesn't have much, but it is peaceful. You'll like it there."

"I liked it here," Yu said with smile. "I'm sure I'll like it in Inaba too."

"You said the same thing when we moved from Tokyo," Yu's father said as his face lightened. "Your uncle is a good man that your mom and I trust. Your cousin is your age, and she thinks of you as a big brother." He grasped his son's shoulder lightly. "Your mom and I will call every chance we get, so keep your phone charged."

"I know dad," Yu said with a slight smile on his face. That was one of the things he looked forward to in Inaba.

"Keep up with your studies Yu," the teenage girl said as Yu's father stepped aside. "We aren't in the same school anymore, but it is still my responsibility to make sure my kouhai is doing well."

"Of course Chihiro-sempai," Yu said with a confident nod. "Don't overwork yourself. You are in charge of the student council now."

"It's not like being a treasurer," the teenage girl said. "Sometimes, I wonder how my sempai managed everything when I was a first year."

"Don't worry, you'll do fine." Yu said as he placed his hand on her shoulder, before Chihiro embraced him in a hug.

"Attention please," the announcement at the train station blared, before the teenage girl could complete the hug. "The train for Sumaru City is now boarding. I repeat, the train for Sumaru City is now boarding."

"That's my train," Yu said as he clutched his bag with his right hand, and waved goodbye with the other. "I'll tell everyone when I arrive in Inaba."

"Of course Yu," the teenage girl said as she stepped back, and waved goodbye along with Yu's father.

As he walked past a video advertisement of a young idol promoting a weight loss drink, and a video feed of the news speaking about a national political scandal involving a reporter sleeping with a married politician, he wondered what was ahead in Inaba. It was two years since he visited the town, and that was for a few days under unfortunate circumstances.

Once he walked inside the train, he sat down, and drifted to sleep, knowing it was a long train ride. He would need more rest before he arrived in Inaba.

\- - - April 11, 2011 - - - Unknown Time - - - Unknown Location - - -

When Yu awakened, he realized that he was no longer on the train, but inside a limousine. Glancing to his right, he noticed a beautiful woman with unique gold eyes that appeared to look like an administrative aid. In front of him was a short man with graying hair wearing a suit. However, the most obvious feature about the man was a lengthy nose.

"Is this a dream?" Yu asked himself as he glanced to his left, seeing a small bar with a variety of drinks and cocktails. He never drank alcohol before, but he knew what they were thanks to his parents hosting events at their home when they were younger.

He admitted to himself that the limousine had an impressive variety of booze, and gave off an elegant vibe.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," the man with the long nose said in a well-mannered voice as he lifted his head, revealing his beady eyes, and getting Yu's attention. Despite the scary look, Yu nodded in agreement, going along with the conversation as he felt the man was peaceful.

"It seems that we have a guest with an intriguing destiny," he says with a slight chuckle. "My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance."

"I am honored, but what is the Velvet Room? This looks like a limousine." Yu asked.

"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a 'contract' may enter—" Igor said as he folded his hands.

"But I haven't signed a contract," Yu said as he raised an eyebrow. "At least none that I know of."

"It may be that such a fate awaits you in the future." Igor said. "Now, why don't you introduce yourself."

"Yu Narukami," the silver hair teen responded with grace and a smile. Despite being in an unusual place, he felt safe and relaxed.

"Hm, I see," Igor says with interest. "Now let's take a look into your future, shall we Mr. Narukami?"

"Sure, why not," Yu said with a shrug. At that moment, a flash of light appeared, and several cards appeared on the table. The cards then proceeded to move on their own.

"Do you believe in fortune telling?" Igor asked.

"Not really, but after seeing what you did with the cards, I'll take your word for it." Yu replied as he leaned forward.

"Each reading is done with the same cards, yet the result is always different," Igor continued as he gave a small chuckle. "Life follows the same principles, doesn't it?"

Yu gives a nod as Igor turns over a card, which depicted a tower being struck and destroyed by lighting. He became slightly uneasy when he noticed a man falling off the tower to his death.

"Hm, the tower in the upright position represents the immediate future. It seems that a terrible catastrophe is imminent." Igor says with some concern in his voice.

"A catastrophe?" Yu asked aloud. "Well, that's not good." Looking at the man in the card again, he realized he was diving into water, so perhaps there is a chance he escapes too.

"The card indicating the future beyond that is ... " Igor says as he flips another card. "The moon, in the upright position. This card represents 'hesitation' and 'mystery' ... very interesting indeed. It seems that you will encounter a misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed on you."

"This, is not a good fortune Igor." Yu said as he frowned.

"In the coming days, you will enter into a contract of some sort, after which you will return here." Igor said in an inspired voice. "The coming year is a turning point in your destiny. If the mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost. My duty is to provide assistance to our guests to ensure that does not happen."

"I appreciate it," Yu said with an affirmative nod. Even if he felt this was only a dream, if he was to face something horrible soon, at least he will have help to deal with it. He then turned towards the woman, who has yet to say anything at this point.

"Ah!" Igor said as he noticed Yu's glance towards the woman. "I have neglected to introduce my assistant to you. This is Margaret. She is a resident of this place, like myself."

"My name is Margaret," the woman said with a calm and professional demeanor. "I am here to accompany you through your journey."

"Pleased to meet you Margaret," Yu said calmly as he noticed the woman holding a gigantic book on her lap.

"We shall discuss the details another time," Igor said. "Until then, farewell."

Yu looked around, and noticed that the limousine, and everything around him, faded to black.

\- - - April 11, 2011 - - - 3:00 PM - - - Train to Sumaru City - - -

Yu awakened when he heard a message notification on his phone. He reached for his phone, and realized he had one notification, which came from his uncle's phone number.

" _Meet us outside YasoInaba Station at 4 PM_ "

Noting the time on his phone, he put it away.

"We are arriving at Sumaru City." The announcement on the train said. "Passengers going to Okina City and YasoInaba Station, please go to the other side of the platform. Passengers travelling to Mikage-Cho are to remain on the train."

Realizing he was at his stop, Yu grabbed his bag, and prepared to leave the train to switch to another one. Unlike the first train ride, the second one was short, taking approximately thirty minutes.

As he left the train, he overheard more reports about the scandal with the reporter and the politician on the television monitors throughout the station. Ignoring them, he boarded the next train, sat down and took out his phone and texted his uncle.

" _Okay. See you soon._ "

He remembered the dream he just had, and wondered what could happen in a quiet place like Inaba while he waited for the train to depart.

\- - - April 11, 2011 - - - 4:00 PM - - - YasoInaba Station - - -

When the train arrived at YasoInaba, Yu looked around at the endless plains and the clean water. The area was seemed more rural than he remembered.

Also, unlike the other train stations, this one did not have any monitors, only a simple platform where everyone boarded, an entrance leading to one platform, and an overpass to get to the other side.

"There's absolutely nothing here," Yu said to himself as he left the train with his bag, and realizing he was one of three people to get off the train, while everyone else on the train went to Okina City.

He noticed a mostly empty parking lot, and a bus stop, where one bus seemed to be waiting to depart from the terminal. To his surprise, there were not many businesses surrounding the train station, aside from a convenience shop and a small restaurant.

"Hey! Over here!" Yu heard someone well as he turned towards the direction of the voice. He noticed a man wearing a dark gray shirt and red tie, carrying a suit jacket over his shoulder.

He also noticed a teenage girl next to him, with her hair in a ponytail. She wore a white turtleneck with black pants.

Yu walked over to the two people and waved hello, recognizing both the man and the teenage girl.

"Well, you're more handsome in person than in your photo," the man said with amazement. "Welcome to Inaba. I'm Ryotaro Dojima, and—"

"Dad, he knows you are his uncle," the teenage girl interrupted before turning towards Yu. "It's been a long time Big Bro!"

"It's been a while Nanako-chan," Yu said with a smile as Nanako hugged him while he held his bag.

"My daughter certainly isn't shy anymore," Dojima said with a laugh. "Well then, let's get going. My car is over there."

"Sure," Yu said as he lifted his bag while Nanako and Dojima walked toward the car, as a paper flew out the bag. While following them, he passed by another girl.

"Hey," the girl said to Yu as she picked up the piece of paper. "You dropped this."

"Thank you," Yu said as he took the paper. He was grateful, as that piece of paper had Dojima's address, in case he needed to call a taxi or ride the bus from the station.

"Whatever. All I did was pick it up," the girl said with a shrug before she walked away.

Yu shrugged as he took notice of the girl's clothes. She dressed ... in a unique fashion, to say the least, with the striped stockings and plaid skirt. She would not be out of place in some cities.

"What's wrong?" Dojima yelled from his car as he was behind the wheel.

"Flirting already?" Nanako teased, as she lowered the window and saw the scene from the passenger side of the car. "You don't waste any time!"

Yu shook his head emphatically toward Nanako as he walked toward the car. He put his bag in the trunk, then sat in the back seat as Dojima drove to Inaba.

At that point, Yu pulled out his phone and touched a number on his phone, before the phone dialed it, then switched the phone to speaker.

"Hi Yu," the man on the other line said. "I take it you arrived in Inaba?"

"Yeah dad," Yu replied. "I'm in the car with Uncle Ryo and Nanako now."

"Hi Uncle Souji," Nanako said with enthusiasm as she turned her head back. "Send me a souvenir from London!"

"You got it Nanako!" Souji said with a laugh.

"How's big sis?" Dojima said, keeping his eyes focused on the road.

"Mai is still on her flight to New York," Souji replied. "Her flight left at 11 AM, and she has a stopover in Los Angeles. She'll probably get there around 2 AM."

"So give her a day of rest before calling?" Dojima asked.

"Probably," Souji replied on the phone. "Knowing Mai though, she'll find a way to call your house before Yu goes to school in the morning."

"Definitely something Big Sis would do," Dojima said.

"Okay, I have to talk some things over with my boss in a moment," Souji said. "If you need anything, give me a call."

"No problem," Dojima said.

"Alright Dad, talk to you later," Yu added.

"Later," Souji said before hanging up the phone.

\- - - April 11, 2011 - - - 4:20 PM - - - Central Shopping District - - -

"I need to refill the tank," Dojima said as the car pulled up toward a gas station at the edge of the shopping district. "This will take a second."

"I need to use the bathroom anyway," Nanako added.

"Hi! Welcome to Moel!" a gas station attendant said as he approached the vehicle.

"Where is your bathroom," Nanako asked the attendant as she exited the car.

"It's in the back, to your left," the station attendant said with a smile.

"Thanks!" Nanako said as Yu exited the car, while she took off for the bathroom.

"Are you taking a trip out of town?" The gas station attendant asked.

"No, we just went to pick him up from the train station," Dojima said, pointing towards Yu. "He is staying with us for a year."

"New in town, huh?" The station attendant asked Yu.

"Fill up my car while you're at it," Dojima said, noting that the station attendant was beginning a conversation with Yu. "Regular's fine."

"Right away, Sir!" the station attendant said.

"Good time as any for a smoke," Dojima said as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and walked toward the street, away from the gas pumps.

"Are you in high school?" The station attendant said as he walked to the pump.

Yu nodded, while raising his eyebrow, wondering if the gas station attendant was a female.

"Does it surprise a city boy to see how little there is out here? The station attendant said as he, or she — Yu was still deciding — refilled the tank. "There's so little to do, I'm sure you'll get bored fast. You'll either be hanging out with your friends or doing part-time jobs."

"That doesn't sound bad," Yu said with a nod, "My cousin will probably introduce me to her friends, and I can always use the money to buy some new books."

"We're actually looking for part-time help right now," the station attendant said as he stepped towards Yu and extended his hand. "Give it some thought, why don't you? We don't mind if you're a student."

"I'll consider it," Yu said as he shook his hand, while Nanako came back from the bathroom.

"Thank you," the attendant said with a smile while filling the car with gasoline.

"You're good at meeting people," Nanako said with a wry smile. "You're making friends fast—"

Without warning, Yu grabbed his head as he felt a brief migraine, which was painful enough to make him lean on the car.

"Are you okay?" Nanako said as she checked on Yu and felt his forehead. "Did you get carsick? You don't look too good."

"It's nothing," Yu said, feeling a little dizzy.

"What's wrong?" Dojima said as he returned from smoking his cigarette and looked at the two teenagers. "You okay?"

"I'm just tired," Yu said as he felt the migraine leave as quickly as it arrived.

"That's understandable. It must have been a long trip for you." Dojima said with some anxiety. "Why not take a short walk, get some fresh air. Just let me know when you're ready to go."

Yu nodded, believing a walk around the shopping district may help.

"I'll go with you," Nanako said. "I can show some of the stores," Nanako said. "These shops are near the house."

Yu nodded in agreement.

As they walked around the shopping district, Yu noted there was not much to it. There was a bus stop near the gas station, which was the same bus line that led to the train station. Yu noted that only one bus passed by since the ride in the car, and that he would likely need at least a bicycle to get around.

Nanako also pointed out to Yu some of the shops in the area, including a bookstore, an antique and smith shop, and a tofu shop. He took special note of the bookstore, Yomenaido Books, as Nanako told him that popular books had a tendency to sell out quickly.

Yu also noted there were more stores down the street, but he did not want to wander too far away from the gas station. However, he also noticed that some of the shops were closed or abandoned. For a shopping center with several small shops, this was unusual, especially for a small town.

It was there that he saw the girl from the train station again.

"We meet again," Yu said with a smile.

"Hm," the girl said as she glanced at Yu and Nanako. "Have we met before?"

"I met you just now," Yu said with an uneasy expression.

"Just now?" the girl said with confusion in her voice. "Hmm, okay."

"Is she playing a mind game?" Nanako whispered to Yu. Yu, shrugged, not knowing how to answer that question.

"We met at the train station," Yu continued. "What were you doing there?"

"Nothing," the girl said. "I just went. I don't have anywhere to go..."

Everyone fell silent at that awkward response. At that point, Yu and Nanako walked away, while the girl seemed to remained focused on something.

"Well, that was odd," Nanako said to Yu as she glanced at the unusual girl. "I've never seen her around town. Maybe she is new here, like you Big Bro."

"Probably," Yu said as he noticed two students talking to each other. Based on the similar hair color and faces, he believed they were siblings.

"That's my sempai," Nanako said, as she walked towards them, with Yu following behind her. "Let me introduce you to her."

"Hey, sis, do you know where my snack went?" the male student said as Yu and Nanako approached them. "I had it in the fridge, but it's gone—"

"Oh, I ate it a few minutes ago," the female student said with a shrug. "I thought it was leftovers."

"What? No!" the male student yelled. "It wasn't leftovers! I was saving it for later!"

"Oh, sorry about that," the female student said in a joyful manner just before she noticed Nanako and Yu.

"Saki-sempai!" Nanako said happily.

"Nana-chan!" the female student said with a warm voice and a smile. "How are you?"

"Doing great," Nanako said to Saki. Nanako then waved her hand toward her cousin. "Oh, this is Yu Narukami. He's the cousin I told you about."

"Pleased to meet you," Saki said as she shook Yu's hand. "You look way more handsome than the pictures Nana-chan showed me. Don't break too many hearts while you're here!"

"I'm not that kind of guy," Yu said with a smile as he noted that Saki had a bubbly personality.

"At least not intentionally," Nanako added as a joke.

"This is Naoki," Saki continued as she spoke to Yu, and introduced the male student, "He's my brother and a first year at Yasogami. Treat him well."

"You got it sempai," Nanako said, while she and Yu nodded to Naoki.

"I gotta work now," Saki said as she looked at the time on her clock. "Give me a call tonight Nana-chan!"

"You got it sempai," Nanako said with a smile.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Dojima-san, and Narukami-san," Naoki said, before walking inside the convenience store. "I was looking forward to that snack."

"First rule of the Dojima household," Nanako said as she turned towards Yu with an edge to her voice. "Don't eat my sweets."

"Got it," Yu said as he nodded quickly, not wanting to see or earn his cousin's wrath.

"We should head back," Nanako said with a smirk as she turned toward the direction of the gas station. "Dad is waiting for us. We'll buy something next time we're here."

\- - - April 11, 2011 - - - 4:45 PM - - - Dojima's House - - -

After another short drive, Yu, Nanako and Dojima arrive at the house. Yu remembered from his last visit here that it looked like a small home on the outside, but it also had enough space for three bedrooms and a backyard.

He found the extra room unusual, as it was just Dojima and Nanako living there. He figured that Dojima bought the house with the extra room with guests in mind.

Yu entered the house after Nanako and Dojima as they took off their shoes. As he took off his shoes, it hit him that for the next year, this would be his home.

"Your room is upstairs on the second floor. It's the door on the left," Dojima said as he reached for his phone. "The boxes that Mai and Souji shipped are in your room already."

"Thanks," Yu said to Dojima, grateful that everything is upstairs.

"Do you need help unpacking?" Nanako asked.

"Sure Nanako," Yu said with a smile of appreciation. While his mom and dad sent mostly clothes and books, he was sure it would take at least a week to unpack everything and set up his room without help, especially while catching up with school.

The two cousins walked upstairs and entered the room Dojima mentioned. Looking around, Yu noted to himself that the room was spacious, and definitely bigger than the room in his home. Aside from several boxes on the floor, he noted the furniture already in the room, including some shelves by the door, a dresser for his clothes, a desk, a futon, a loveseat by the window, and a table in front of the loveseat.

"So what should we unpack first?" Nanako asked as she rolled up her sleeves.

"Let's start with this one," Yu said, pointing to a box on the floor. Opening the box, it held some of his clothes.

"Was this your uniform at your old school?" Nanako said as she took out a jacket with a red, black and white logo on it.

"Yeah, but the only thing required was the logo," Yu said with a melancholy tone as he took out the rest of the clothes from the first box, remembering the day the teacher announced he was going away for a year. "Students wore what they wanted, as long as it fit the dress code, but they preferred the black slacks and jacket with a white shirt."

"Yasogami High's uniform is not that different," Nanako said as she pointed to clothes in plastic on the dresser. "Dad picked up some already. The jacket is required for the winter uniform."

Yu walked to the dresser and opened the package. Taking one look at the uniform, he paid attention to the jacket and pants. "I can work with this style."

"Dad bought two more uniforms like that," Nanako said as she opened a second box. "If you want more, you have to buy them from the school. You need to buy the gym clothes as well."

Yu nodded, knowing the price of uniforms was inevitable.

"I need help with this one," Nanako said as she motioned towards the box she just opened. "I don't want to break it."

Yu walked over and looked inside the box. It was a new LED television that his parents bought him. It was not a large screen, but it was better than his old television at home. He preferred to read books, perhaps he'll watch a few shows if there is nothing else to do.

"It's not heavy," Yu said as he took out the television and placed it on the dresser. Nanako then plugged in the television and the cable wire. Turning on the television, the picture was clear.

"I may have to watch some shows in your room," Nanako said with a giggle. "It's better than the one downstairs."

"I have no problem with that," Yu said as he opened the box with his books, and started placing them on the small shelf at the desk.

\- - - April 11, 2011 - - - 7:00 PM - - - Dojima House - - -

After they spent two hours unpacking boxes, Dojima asked for Yu and Nanako to come downstairs.

"This was supposed to be a welcoming party but I'm not much of a cook," Dojima said as Yu noticed all the food laid out on the table in the living room. There was no question that the food was take out sushi.

"It's nice," Yu said. "Thank you."

"All right, let's have a toast," Dojima said as he sat by the table near the couch, while Nanako took a seat near the window, and Yu took the seat closest to the kitchen.

"Cheers!" All three said as raised their drinks.

"So," Dojima said to Yu, "Your mom and dad are busy as always."

"Yeah," Yu said. "They didn't want to take me outside Japan, so here I am."

"I know it's only for a year, but getting stuck in a place like this because of your parents ..." Dojima said as his voice trailed off. "It's rough being a kid."

"I'm used to moving around," Yu said with a shrug.

"Well, it's just me and Nanako here, so it'll be nice having someone like you around," Dojima said. "You're part of the family. So long as you're here, make yourself at home."

"Thank you for your kindness," Yu responded, not sure if he should keep his response simple or formal.

"C'mon, there's no need to be so formal," Dojima said with a smile.

"Just relax Big Bro," Nanako said with a smile. "Save the proper etiquette for the teachers."

"Well, anyway," Dojima said. "Let's eat."

However, before anyone could take a bite, Dojima's cellphone started to ring.

"Ugh, who's calling at this time?" Dojima said, frustrated as he reached for his phone, while Nanako turned her face. "Dojima speaking." He got up and walked away from the table.

"Dojima-san," a voice from the phone said. "We need another detective squad on hand."

"What for?" Dojima replied as Yu and Nanako looked at him.

"The Amagi Inn reported that Mayumi Yamano went missing yesterday evening," the voice on the phone said. "We have a search party looking for her, but we need you to investigate the scene at the inn with Adachi."

"Uh huh," Dojima replied quietly.

"The paparazzi are already at the inn because of the scandal," the voice on the phone said in a serious tone. "Use an unmarked car to arrive at the scene."

"Looks like I made the right choice to skip the booze," Dojima said as he hung up. He turned to the teens who looked at him. "Sorry, but I gotta take care of some business. Go ahead and eat without me."

Yu and Nanako nodded, while Nanako held her frown.

"I don't know how late I'll be," Dojima continued, knowing that a investigation and search team would be involved. "Nanako, continue to help Yu out, okay?"

"Okay," Nanako said with disappointment in her voice as Dojima walked to the front door.

"Nanako," Dojima yelled. "It's raining out. What did you do with the laundry?"

"I brought it in before we picked up Big Bro!" Nanako yelled back.

"All right," Dojima said. "Well, I'm off."

After hearing the front door open and close, and Dojima drive off in his car, Nanako turned on the television using the remote, and the two teens watched the news.

"—for this week. Next, let's take a look at the hourly breakdown of tomorrow's weather," a woman said from the television. "With storm clouds moving in from the west, expect rain throughout the day tomorrow in most areas."

"Let's eat," Nanako said, with sadness in her voice. Yu decided to start a conversation with her.

"So what does Uncle Dojima do for a living again?" Yu said as he took a piece of sushi off the plate.

"Dad's a detective," Nanako said. "I think he works mostly with crime scene investigations. He probably got a call to go to one."

"And now for the local news," a male announcer said on television, before the conversation could continue further. "City council secretary Taro Namatame is under fire for an alleged relationship with a female reporter. His wife, enka ballad sensation Misuzu Hiiragi, revealed to this station that she will likely pursue damages. In response, Eye television has decided to cancel all of announcer Mayumi Yamano's televised appearances. Until allegations of an affair with Mr. Namatame are resolved, she'll remain off the air and out the public eye—"

"This is boring. Everyone knows about the affair," Nanako said as she changed the channel, which went to a commercial for Junes. Yu nodded in agreement, as that was on the news everywhere, including all of the news channels.

"At Junes, everyday is Customer Appreciation Day," a woman said in the commercial. "Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products!"

When the commercial ended, it played a jingle, "Everyday's great at your Junes."

To Yu's surprise, Nanako sang the jingle as well.

"What? It's catchy?" Nanako said defensively.

"Anyone can use that as blackmail material," Yu said with a smile.

"You're too nice to do that," Nanako replied as she stuck her tongue out. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"Right," Yu said, as the two started to eat the sushi on the table.

\- - - April 11, 2011 - - - 10:30 PM - - - Dojima's house - - -

After the dinner, Yu went upstairs and went to sleep, to prepare for the next day. He wonders if everything will be okay for the upcoming year.

He then sent a text to his sempai, saying that he arrived at Inaba, then went to sleep, knowing it was a long day ahead.

\- - - April 11, 2011 - - - Unknown Time - - - Unknown Location - - -

Yu noticed he carried what appeared to be a sword. He figured it was useful, since he was on a kendo team back in middle school and understood the basics of using a sword.

More noticeable, however, was the fog that surrounded him. The only thing he could see were the red tiles on the ground that formed a path. He keeps walking forward into the fog, using the tiles as a guide.

"Do you seek the truth," he heard a deep, baritone voice say in the fog.

"Yes," Yu said, with some hesitation. Yu believed the truth was necessary, but he also acknowledged to himself that this scenario was similar to a horror movie.

"If it's the truth you desire, come and find me," the voice said as Yu continued to travel within the fog.

Ignoring the weird scenario, Yu reached a door, and heard the voice coming through it.

"So, you are the one pursuing me," the voice said, releasing a small chuckle. "Try all you like."

Yu, at this point, noticed a silhouette and walked towards it. He couldn't make out any features of the person, but it was clearly a person.

"Hmm, it seems you can see a little, despite the fog," the voice said. "I see, indeed, this is very interesting information.

"Who are you?" Yu said as he clutched the hilt of his sword, and continued to step closer to the person.

"You will not catch me so easily," the voice said as the fog became thicker, making it impossible to see beyond a few inches. "If what you seek is 'truth', then your search will be even harder."

Yu continued to walk around in the fog, following the voice to the best of his ability, but that became difficult.

"Everyone sees what they want to, and the fog only deepens," the voice said.

Yu continued to search around, but to no avail, as it was impossible to see anything at this point due to how thick the fog was.

"We will meet again, at a place other than here," the voice said as it faded away in the fog. "I look forward to it."

* * *

 _Author Note #1: Nanako's Age Up  
_  
Yu Narukami is still the main protagonist. However, Nanako Dojima is the deuteragonist of the story, or the secondary hero of the story, and will have a larger role. Her presence as a teenager instead of a child and as a (future) member of the investigation team will change some aspects of the story, especially as she represents the Justice Arcana.

As for Nanako being a teenager, I will say this. Ryotaro Dojima is 41 years old during the events of Persona 4. It is reasonable that he can father a child ten years earlier without implying a teenage pregnancy or shotgun marriage (if they have those in Japanese culture).

If you want to imagine Nanako with an older voice, think Kallen Kouzuki from Code Geass. Replace a Karen Strassman vocal role, with another Karen Strassman vocal role.

 _Author Note #2: Friendless Yu (?) His home town, and Previous Persona Games Confirmation  
_  
Most stories have Yu Narukami leaving Tokyo, and it's correct. (The Persona 4 anime does have Morooka briefly reference that he arrived from the capital, and the game mentions that he comes from the big city).

However, for this story, I want Yu to be from a different city, specifically one from the Persona Series. In the end, I chose Tatsumi Port Island, and by extension, Gekkoukan High School.

On the sendoff, I cannot see a person like Yu being friendless prior to this story. In the opening scene in the game, students are vocally shocked and disappointed that he is leaving his old school. I have to give him at least one person that would see him off.

That, influenced my decision to choose Port Island and Gekkoukan High over Sumaru City and Seven Sisters (from both parts of _Persona 2_ ) or Mikage Cho and St. Hermelin High School (from _Persona 1_ ). While I can confirm there will be characters from Persona 1 and 2 in this story, they must be older than the Protagonist due to the timeline. I needed someone close to the protagonists' age. Enter Chihiro Fushimi. Gekkoukan High, and Tatsumi Port Island. (And while it is redundant, there will be characters from _Persona 3_ as well.)

And yes, the field trip to Tatsumi Port Island will have a twist later in the story.


	2. Yasogami High School

_Chapter 2: Yasogami High School_

\- - - April 12 2011 - - - 6:00 AM - - - Dojima's House – Yu's Room - - -

Yu groggily raised himself from the bed as the alarm from his phone went off. While he wondered what the nightmare was about, he had to shrug it off. He turned off the alarm, and knew that he had to get ready for school.

That said, he stepped out his room, and went in the bathroom to take shower, then dressed in his school uniform.

Initially, he had the uniform shirt closed. However, the look didn't feel right to him. He unbuttoned the uniform shirt, then loosened the top button of the dress shirt underneath, then propped up the collar of the uniform shirt.

Looking in the mirror, he gave a nod of approval to himself.

"Breakfast is almost ready," Nanako yelled from downstairs.

"I'll be downstairs soon," Yu replied back as he walked out the bathroom.

\- - - April 12, 2011 - - - 6:45 AM - - - Dojima's House – Kitchen - - -

"Good morning," Nanako said as she sat down in the chair by the counter, with Yu noting that she was in her school uniform already. She had on the Yasogami blouse and the yellow ribbon that the girls wore to school. However, instead of wearing the skirt that went along with the uniform, she opted to wear the pants that the boys wore.

"Good morning," Yu said as the toaster ejected the bread, both sat down at the kitchen counter.

"Okay, let's eat," Nanako said as she place the toast on two plates which already had eggs, and gave one of them to Yu.

"Did you do all the cooking?" Yu asked as he looked around, noticing the milk and juice on the table as well.

"I can toast bread and cook sunny side eggs for breakfast," Nanako said as she took a bite from her eggs. "That's about it for my cooking skills."

"Mom and dad taught me how to cook a few dishes," Yu said as Nanako continued eating. "They worked late a lot."

"Dad wanted teach me, but he can't cook either," Nanako said with a frown. "I usually buy dinner from Junes or get takeout from the shopping district."

"If you want, I can teach you a few dishes I know," Yu replied as Nanako cut her toast and ate a piece.

"That would be awesome!" Nanako said with a smile, as Yu's phone began to ring. Recognizing the number, he immediately answered.

"Hi mom," Yu said as he put his phone on speaker. Placing it on the table, he continued, "You made it to New York?"

"Arrived just a few hours ago," A woman with a pleasant voice replied. "I wanted to call as soon as I arrived, but it was 2:30 AM in Japan."

"It's okay Mom," Yu replied as Nanako finished her toast. "I know about the time difference."

"How is the town so far?" Yu's mom replied. "Do you like it?"

"Didn't get to see much yet," Yu said, before taking a pause to sip orange juice. "I mostly unpacked and spent time with Nanako and Uncle Ryo yesterday. Maybe I'll see more after school."

"There is a hill overlooking the town," Yu's mom replied. "It is a gorgeous view, especially during the Tanabata Festival."

"I'll check it out," Yu said, somewhat intrigued by the landscape view

"Is Ryotaro there?" Yu's mom asked.

"He left for work early," Yu said. "It's just me and Nanako eating breakfast."

"Sounds like Little Bro alright," Yu's mom said with a sigh. "Say hi to Nanako for me!"

"Hi Aunt Mai!" Nanako said cheerfully.

"Hi Nanako!" Mai said with a bright voice. "Are you doing okay?"

"I'm doing great!" Nanako replied.

"That's awesome!" Mai said with a genuinely happy tone. "Tell your dad to call me when he gets off work."

"Will do!" Nanako said.

"I'll let you two go ahead to school," Mai added. "I'll talk to everyone soon!"

"Sure mom, catch ya later," Yu said as he said goodbye to his mom. He hung up the phone, and ate the breakfast Nanako made by turning it into an egg sandwich.

"Let's go," Nanako said as she stood up from the table, and placed her plate in the sink. "Who knows, we might be in the same class."

"Good to know someone in the school already," Yu said with a smile as he took a bite of his makeshift sandwich, sensing Nanako's excitement as she walked to the front door and put on her shoes.

\- - - April 12, 2011- - - 8:05 AM - - - Intersection near Yasogami High - - -

"We keep going straight from here, and we'll be at Yasogami—" Nanako said as they walked in an area after crossing a bridge over a river.

"Whoa!" a student on a bike yelled, which interrupted Nanako's sentence. The student on the bike clearly lost control on the wet roads. It did not help that he wore his headphones over his ears, steered with one hand, and holding an umbrella upright in the other.

Nanako sighed as the rider crashed into a pole. He skidded on the floor, with the handlebar of the bike whacking him between the legs. She walked toward the student, while Yu followed behind her, cringing as he understood the pain.

"Hanamura," Nanako said as she shook her head, "Are you alright? That looked painful."

He only groaned as he stood up, only to bend over and hop around in pain.

"I guess we should leave you alone for now, since we have to hurry to the school," Nanako said as she shook her head and started walking towards the school, with Yu shaking his head and following behind him. "I'll let our homeroom teacher know what happened, so he or she doesn't mark you absent."

After leaving the crash scene, the two cousins arrived at the school gates of Yasogami High School five minutes later. Yu wondered what kind of student life awaited him here. He noted the school was physically smaller than Gekkoukan High School, Yasogami had a mixture of a contemporary and traditional architecture, versus the modern architecture Gekkoukan used.

"Okay, I'm going to my class Big Bro," Nanako said as they entered through the gates. "You need to go to the Faculty Office to find out your classroom assignment."

"Where is the Faculty Office?" Yu asked.

"First floor of the main building, to your right from the entrance," Nanako directed.

"Thanks," Yu said as they walked through the front doors of the main building, and departed ways. Yu turned to the right, while Nanako stopped at her shoe locker to change her shoes.

Before going inside the office, Yu looked around the hallways. It was clear that the right side of the building had the offices and important rooms on both sides of the hall, such as the bathrooms and cafeteria. Meanwhile, he noted the left side of the main building had classrooms, and an open window view. Glancing outside, he saw that the open area was a large field, which included soccer, and a track.

Yasogami High was a different feel, but Yu Narukami liked it."

\- - - April 12, 2011 - - - 8:30 AM - - -Yasogami High, Classroom 2-2 - - -

As Nanako sat at a desk near the back of a classroom, behind a girl wearing a unique green jacket, she noticed the chatter around the classroom, and paid attention to some of it.

"Talk about bad luck," one male student said as he sat at a desk near the window, not far from where she sat. "The homeroom teacher here is Morooka, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it's King Moron alright," another male student said in a dejected tone. "We get to enjoy his long-ass sermons every day for a whole year."

Nanako frowned and gritted her teeth. She did not want King Moron as the homeroom teacher.

"Hey you guys," a female student said as she approached the two guys. "I heard there's going to be another transfer student from the city in this class."

"Huh? Really? A guy or a girl?" a student said as Nanako had a smile on her face.

"A transfer student from the city?" the woman with the green jacket said as she turned towards Nanako with a smirk. "Sounds like your cousin is in this class."

"Good. Maybe I can get him to tutor us," Nanako said, not bothering to hide the smirk from her face. "You know, the talk in here is just like when Hanamura came here back in October."

"Like Yosuke? Well, that was disappointing," Chie said with a laugh. At that moment, the girls looked at the desk to left of Nanako, and noticed Yosuke resting his head on the desk.

"You look dead today," Chie said to Yosuke, noting he did not have his usual return reply.

"Yeah," Yosuke said in a strained and wobbly voice. "I don't wanna talk about it ..."

"What's with him?" Chie said as she turned to a girl wearing a red cardigan over her school uniform.

"Who knows?" a girl with the red cardigan said, as she turned towards Chie and Nanako. "He doesn't look well."

"He had a bike accident," Nanako answered directly to the girl in the cardigan. "He was trying to steer his bike in the rain with one hand, and an umbrella in the other. The handlebar landed on his—"

"They don't need to know the details Dojima-san," Yosuke interrupted as he lifted his head before Nanako finished.

"And you need to get a helmet for your bike," Nanako said with a stern voice. "You're lucky the handle bar only hit your balls."

Yosuke cringed and rested his head back on the desk, just as the door to the classroom opened.

"Alright, shut your traps," a man said in an authoritative tone as he entered the room with Yu. The man was dressed in a blue pinstriped suit, an ugly yellow tie, and one of the worst overbites anyone could imagine.

The class silenced themselves immediately, knowing who the man is from their first year in the school. Nevertheless, he introduced himself to the class anyway.

"I'm Kinshiro Morooka, your homeroom teacher from today forward!" the teacher said in a strict tone. "First things first! Just 'cause it's spring doesn't mean you can swoon over each other like love-struck baboons. Long as I'm around, you students are going to be pure as the driven snow!"

Many of the students in the class grew nervous at this declaration, except for Yosuke, who was still resting his head on the desk and recovering from his accident.

"Now I hate wasting time, but I better introduce this transfer student," Morooka continued as Yu wrote his name on the board. "This sad sack's been thrown from the big city out to the middle of nowhere like yesterday's garbage. And he's just as much of a loser here as he was there, so you girls better not get any ideas about hitting on him!" He turned towards Yu. "Tell 'em your name kid, and make it quick."

"Did you just call me a loser," Yu said to Morooka with a raised eyebrow, but kept his body language and voice relaxed. "That's very unprofessional of you as a teacher." It shocked nearly everyone in the class that someone had the courage to stand up to a teacher, let alone King Moron.

"Hmph, that's it, you're on my shit list, effective immediately!" Morooka said to Yu, who shrugged in return. "Now listen up. This town is miles away from your big city of perverts and assholes, in more ways than one. You better not even think of getting involved with the girls here, let alone abusing them!"

Yu just stared at Morooka as the teacher continued his rant about perverts, wondering how did he gain employment as a teacher.

"But what do I know," Morooka continued his rant. "It's not like the old days. Even here, kids grow up so damn fast. Every time I turn my back, you're fooling around on those damn phones, checking your life-journals, and your facepages—"

"Excuse me!" Chie interrupted. "Is it okay if the transfer student sits here?"

"Huh? Yeah, sure," Morooka said in a calm tone, before he turned back to Yu and his authoritative tone. "Ya hear that? Your seat's over there, so hurry up and sit down already."

Yu walked briskly towards the desk, and noticed Nanako sitting behind Chie. Nanako gave Yu a discreet nod as he sat down, which he returned.

"He's the worst, huh?" Chie said as he leaned over towards Yu. "Rotten luck for you to get stuck in this class. We'll just have to hang in there for a year."

"Shut it you two!" Morooka yelled to Chie and Yu, before returning his attention to the entire class. "I'm taking roll, and I damn well expect you to respond in an orderly manner!"

"Nice first impression Big Bro," Nanako said in a whisper, which was loud enough for Chie and Yu to hear. "Welcome to class 2-2."

\- - - April 12, 2011 - - - 3:00 PM - - - Classroom 2-2 - - -

"That's all for today. You're dismissed!" Morooka said as he dropped the chalk and stopped writing on the board. "Normal lectures start tomorrow, and I expect all of you brats to be prepared." Students started leaving their seats when an announcement started over the loud speaker.

" _Attention all teachers. Please report immediately to the Faculty Office for a brief staff meeting. All students must return to their classrooms, and are not to leave the school grounds until further notice_."

"What happened?" Nanako said, loud enough for several people to hear.

"You heard the announcement," Morooka said as he stopped walking to face the class, as if to directly address Nanako. "Don't go anywhere until you hear otherwise." Morooka then left the classroom to go to the Faculty Office.

"He's seriously getting on my nerves," a female student said. Some of the students nodded in agreement and complained about King Moron for several minutes, and how they were stuck with him for an entire year.

However, police sirens blared outside the school building, eliminating those thoughts.

"Those sirens sound close," One male student said as several walked towards the window. Looking out the window, he said, "I can't see a damn thing. Frickin' fog."

"Something definitely happened," Nanako whispered to herself as she eased off her seat, and motioned for Yu to follow her, preparing to explain that it is very likely her dad will not be home tonight.

"Yeah, like every time it rains lately, it gets all foggy," a second male student noted.

"I wonder if the police caught the pervert," a female student said as she glanced outside the window. "They've been looking for him for a few days."

"You mean the dude taking upskirt photos of the girls here?" the first male student said. "About time. That's just sick."

"Hey, did you hear," a third male student said, changing the conversation. "I hear the paparazzi is looking for that announcer."

"You mean Mayumi Yamano, right?" the second male student said. "I heard some guys spotted her at Yomenaido Books in the shopping district on Saturday."

"Everyone saw her there," the female student said. "The paparazzi were all over the area."

"Actually, I heard that she was staying at the Amagi Inn," the third male student said in a whisper.

"Are you serious?" the second male student asked.

"Why not find out from the source," the first male student said as he glanced quickly at the girl with the red cardigan.

The second male student nodded and walked toward the girl with the red cardigan. "Hey, Yukiko-san, mind if I ask you something? Is it true that announcer's staying at your family's inn?"

"I can't discuss such things," Yukiko responded with a frown. "Privacy policy."

"Y-yeah, I guess not," the student said nervously as he ran back toward the window, while Chie walked toward her seat.

"Sheesh, how much longer is this gonna take?" Chie said as Nanako got up from her chair and stood by Yukiko's desk.

"There's no telling," Yukiko responded as she looked at the phone. Only fifteen minutes have passed since the announcement.

"I shoulda left before the announcement came on," Chie said, frustrated. "By the way, didja try what I told you the other day? You know, that thing about rainy nights?"

"Oh," Yukiko said. "No, not yet. Sorry."

"Ahh, that's okay," Chie said. "It's just, I heard a guy in the class next door yell something like, "My soulmate is Mayumi Yamano—"

" _Attention all students_. _There has been an incident inside the school district_." The announcement over the intercom said, ceasing all chatter inside the classroom. " _Police officers have been dispatched around the school zone_. _Please stay calm and contact your parents or guardians as soon as possible, and quickly leave the school grounds_. _Do not disturb the police officers_. _Head directly home_. _I repeat ..._ "

"Called it," Nanako said with a shrug.

"Incident?" One student said. "That's what the sirens were about?"

"What, something actually happened?" a female student said nervously.

"C'mon, let's go take a look!" another female student said, which caused Nanako to shake her head in disbelief.

"Let's just get out of here," Nanako said as she walked around the back of the classroom, and towards Yu. "We can go to Junes or the shopping district. I don't think the incident they are talking about affected those areas."

"Are you two going home by yourselves?" Chie asked as she approached the cousins with Yukiko behind her. "Why don't you come with us?"

"Sure I don't mind, but we may go to the shopping district or Junes first," Nanako said before giving introductions. "By the way, this is Yu Narukami, the cousin I told you about."

"Oh, I nearly forgot about that. I'm Chie Satonaka," the girl said with a smile on her face. "You know I sit next to you, right?"

"Of course," Yu said with a smile, noting that Chie was slightly shorter than Nanako. "Thank you for stopping King Moron's sermon by the way."

"Don't mention it," Chie said, before turning her attention to Nanako. "He looks way better than the picture you showed us."

"That's what I keep hearing," Nanako said as she rubbed the back of her neck. "The picture wasn't that bad!"

"Apparently, the camera doesn't like me too much," Yu said as he laughed.

"Oh," Chie said before introducing the girl with red cardigan to Yu. "This is Yukiko Amagi. She and Nanako are my best friends."

"Oh, nice to meet you Narukami-san, I'm sorry that this is so sudden," Yukiko said as she bowed politely. Yu noted that she was slightly taller than both Nanako and Chie.

"C'mon, don't apologize like that. It makes me look like I got no upbringing," Chie said to Yukiko before turning her attention towards Yu. "I just wanted to ask about some stuff. Really, that's all."

Nanako sighed, knowing the conversation was likely to become an interrogation, before Yosuke approached Chie.

"Umm, Miss Satonaka?" Yosuke said with a meek voice. "This was really awesome. The way they moved was just amazing to see ... and ... I'm really sorry! It was an accident! Please just have mercy until my next paycheck!"

As Yosuke gave back a DVD cover to Chie, Nanako and Yu remembered the bike crash this morning, and after hearing his words, both realized what happened.

"See ya! Thanks!" Yosuke said nervously as he walked away quickly. On most days, he would be able to run, but thanks to the bike accident, he moved slower than usual.

"Stop right there!" Chie said as she ran after Yosuke. Unfortunately for him, she came to the same conclusion that Nanako did, minus the bike accident. "What did you do to my DVD?!"

Chie caught up to him and tackled him, with her knee landing on his groin. Everyone in the classroom that saw it, including Yu, Nanako and Yukiko, cringed.

As Yosuke got up and hopped around from the accidental groin attack while holding himself, Chie opened her DVD case, and confirmed _everyone's_ suspicion.

"What the—" Chie wailed. "I can't believe this! It's completely cracked. My 'Trial of the Dragon' ..."

"I think mine's cracked too," Yosuke said with pain edging his voice. "C-Critical hit to the nads."

"Another one Hanamura?" Nanako said as she, Yu, and Yukiko looked at him with concern. "Chie, he probably wants children in the future!"

"A-are you alright Yosuke?" Yukiko said with sincerity as she and Nanako helped him off the floor by grabbing his arms.

"Oh, Yukiko-san ... Are you worried about me?" Yosuke said, sounding a little too hopeful. Enough that everyone nearby lost their sympathy for his ... condition.

"He's fine," Chie said as she placed the broken DVD in her backpack. "Let's ditch him and go home!"

"I agree," Nanako said as he pulled her cousin, while Yosuke limped around to alleviate the pain. "Let's just change our shoes and get out of here."

\- - - April 12, 2011 - - - 3:45 PM - - - Yasogami High, Main Gates - - -

"Well, the first day is over," Chie said as she, Yu, Nanako and Yukiko left the main gates of the Yasogami High.

"What do you think so far Big Bro?" Nanako asked Yu.

"Not bad—" Yu was about to speak, but he was interrupted by a strange student approaching the group from the gate. Based on the uniform, it was clear he attended to a different school.

"Hey, aren't you Yukiko?" the student said nervously.

"Yes?" Yukiko said, confused as other Yasogami High students gathered around the gate. "Wh-who are you?"

"Come on," the strange student continued in an awkward manner. "Why don't you and I go hang out somewhere?"

"Back off! You're being creepy," Chie yelled as she stepped in front of Yukiko, while Nanako stepped toward her left side, which was closer to the strange student. Yu, on the other hand, walked to Yukiko's right.

"What's up with him," one of the onlookers said. "What school is he from?"

"Never mind that," another onlooker said. "He's going for Yukiko-san? Man, you'd think he'd at least wait until she's alone to make his move ..."

"He doesn't know Yukiko is off limits," the first onlooker said. "I bet you a can of TaP he gets knocked out by Satonaka before he gets rejected."

"No bet. Dojima will hold back Satonaka before she does any major damage," the second onlooker said.

"What's the big deal about asking someone out?" a female student with short black said as she walked past the gates, ignoring the story as she rolled his eyes. "She either says yes or no. It's not a big deal."

"Haven't you heard how difficult the Amagi Challenge is—" the first onlooker said to the girl, only for her to walk through the gate and ignore him.

"Um, s-so ..." the strange student said, ignoring the conversations around him as he leered at Yukiko. "Are you coming or not?"

"I-I'm not going," Yukiko said nervously. "Sorry, but I don't know you."

"Fine!" the student yelled at Yukiko as he ran away from the school gates. "Screw you! Stupid bitch!"

"Creepy asshole!" Nanako yelled back.

"I wonder if he's the pervert the police are after," Chie said as she unconsciously tugged at the bottom of her skirt.

"Wh-what did he want from me?" Yukiko said quietly, as the crowd started to disperse after seeing another victim of the Amagi challenge.

"Obviously, he was asking you out on a date," Chie said.

"Huh? Really?" Yukiko asked.

"He was definitely asking you out on a date Amagi-san," Yu said in a neutral voice.

"You really had no clue?" Nanako asked with a raised eyebrow. "Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if someone dared him to do it and he went along with it."

"That's possible," Chie said as she relaxed her posture. "He was way over the top to take seriously! It was still creepy how he called you Yuki, like he knew you."

"Yo, Yukiko-san," Yosuke said as he approached the group with his bike, apparently recovered from his second groin strike of the day. "Turned down another lovelorn fool, huh?"

"In front of most of the school this time," Nanako said to Yosuke. "And without her knowing it."

"Man, you're cruel," Yosuke said with a smirk. "You got me the same way last year."

"I don't recall doing that," Yukiko replied as she glanced upward.

"Whoa, you serious?" Yosuke said with a bigger smile. "So then, you wanna hang out sometime?"

"... I'd rather not." Yukiko said as she touched the tip of her bangs and glanced away.

"Two rejections within three minutes," Nanako said to Chie. "I think that beats her personal record."

"No worries, it's cool," Yosuke muttered as he got on his bike. "Besides, I have someone else in mind."

"Then why ask Yukiko out?" Nanako replied. "Shouldn't you focus on that someone else?"

"Anyways, you better not pick on the transfer student too much," Yosuke said, evading the question before he pedaled away.

"We're just curious!" Chie yelled at Yosuke. "That's all!"

"That's what I'm afraid of!" Yosuke yelled back.

"U-um," Yukiko said as she turned to Yu as the group walked away from the school gates, "I'm sorry for dragging you into this ..."

"Not a problem," Yu said, somewhat amused.

"So," Chie said as she turned towards Yu. "Nanako told us how you were living in Inaba for a year, but never said why you were coming here."

"It's my parents," Yu said. "They—"

"I think I know what you're about to say," Chie responded as the group crossed a small road. "Did they get a divorce?"

"Actually, no," Yu said, somewhat amused as he knows that despite being in their mid 40's, they still use public displays of affection, which tended to annoy other people, himself included. "They're happily married."

"Wait, let me keep guessing," Chie said as she placed her finger on her lip and glanced up. "Did one of your parents go to prison?"

"Really Chie?" Nanako said as Yu laughed, while Yukiko let out a small giggle. "My aunt and uncle would never do anything to get arrested! Plus my dad is a detective. He would never live it down if that happened!"

"Okay, so that's not it," Chie said as she slouched. "Maybe they are agents working undercover for a secret organization—"

"For god's sake Chie, they are executives working overseas for a year," Nanako interrupted, slightly annoyed, before turning her attention towards Yu. "Uncle Souji is in New York, and Aunt Mai is in London."

"Actually, it's the other way around," Yu said with a small chuckle.

"At least I got the cities right this time," Nanako said, recovering smoothly as they crossed another street. "I thought Uncle Souji was going to Paris."

"Ah, so you came here because of your parents' job," Chie said with a nervous laugh. "I thought it was something way more serious."

"Don't mind Chie," Nanako said to Yu as they passed by a rice field. "Her imagination runs wild sometimes."

"There really is nothing here, huh?" Chie asked Yu, who only shrugged in return as he glanced at the expansive rice field. "That's what makes it nice and peaceful, but there is nothing much we can show to people from outside."

"Though, there is something from Mt. Yasogami, I think," Nanako said. "I think our dyed clothes, pottery or something is kind of famous from there."

"Oh wait, there's the Amagi Inn!" Chie said as she nudged Yukiko. "Yukiko's family runs it. It's the pride of Inaba!"

"Huh," Yukiko said. "It's just an old inn. It's not that big of a deal—"

"No way! Yukiko is just being modest," Chie interrupted, as she turned her attention to Yu. "It's been in all sorts of magazines as a hidden treasure in Japan. It's been going for generations. Yukiko here is going to take over someday."

"The inn actually attracts a lot of visitors to Inaba," Nanako added. "It helps the town by being a vacation destination to get away from the city."

"... I don't think that's entirely true," Yukiko said as her lips flattened.

"So, tell me Narukami," Chie said as she changed the conversation and kept her focus on Yu. "Do you think Yukiko is cute?"

"Come on. Don't start this again," Yukiko said with frustration as she frowned.

"He just met her thirty minutes ago," Nanako said in defense of Yukiko. "It's not like he has an opinion on everyone."

"Oh, sorry," Chie said to Yu in a teasing tone as they . "I didn't mean to put you on the spot right in front of her."

"I don't know her, but Yukiko does resemble a natural beauty, like the actresses on television," Yu replied, to the shock of the three girls, while Yukiko turned away to hide the fact her face was turning red.

"That's why half of Yasogami High wants to ask her out on a date," Chie replied,

"Already pouring out the charm," Nanako muttered quietly so only Yu heard her before a smirk appeared on her face and she placed her hand on Yu's shoulder and spoke in a higher voice. "So what do you think about Chie?"

"Chie is cute," Yu said without hesitation, causing Chie to blush. "She reminds me of a popular girl from my old high school. She graduated in March though."

"Yukiko is the one who is really popular at school," Chie said. She barely contained her smile as she changed the subject slightly. "But she never had a boyfriend before. Kinda weird, huh?"

"It's not weird at all," Nanako said to Chie. "None of us have been on a date, let alone had a boyfriend."

"You shouldn't believe that, okay?" Yukiko said as the redness from her face disappeared. "It's not true that I'm popular, or that I've never had a boyfriend!"

"Says the person who has a _dating challenge_ named after her," Chie replied. "I lost count of how many perverts Nanako and I pushed away!"

"Wait, you dated someone?" Nanako teased as Yukiko become nervous. "She's been holding info from us Chie!"

"So who was the lucky guy to break the Amagi challenge?" Chie said, picking up what Yukiko just said.

"Wait, no," Yukiko said nervously. "What I meant to say was, I-I don't need a boyfriend! Geez Chie."

"I'm sorry," Chie said after she laughed for a moment. "Sorry, but this is our chance to talk to someone from the big city, and you barely said a word—"

"Something is going on over there," Yu said, interrupting the conversation and saw a crowd of people at the base of the hill, and walked in that direction.

"Let's check it out," Chie said as she ran towards the area that Yu was walking toward.

"We're supposed to stay away from there," Nanako yelled to Chie and Yu, before she and Yukiko followed, just to make sure they stayed safe.

As they arrived at the base of the hill, they heard the whispers among the crowd gathered near a police barricade blocking the cross street.

"So that high school student left early, and as she came down this street ..." one of the women in the crowd said.

"Wow," another woman said. "Who could imagine that hanging from an antenna?"

"I wanted to see it too," the first woman said.

"You got here too late," a third woman said. "The police and fire department took it down a moment ago."

"Everyone is getting worked up over an object hanging from an antenna?" Nanako whispered to the other three teens as they raised their eyebrows. "The police are blocking the street and held up dismissal for something hanging from an antenna?"

"Okay, I agree. This is stupid," Chie whispered back. "Let's keep—"

"I can't believe a dead body showed up around here," the second woman said before the four teens left.

This, of course, surprised the four teenagers.

"Did she just say a dead body!?" Chie said nervously as she rubbed her arm.

"What do they mean, it was hanging from the antenna?" Yukiko added.

"That's what those housewives said," Nanako replied, equally nervous. Yukiko grasped her hands behind her back.

"How is that possible—" Yu said as he glanced at the rooftops of the nearby buildings.

"Hey, what're you kids doing here?" Dojima said as he approached the teens from behind the barricade.

"We were just passing by," Yu replied.

"School just ended, and we were going to hang out at Junes or the shopping district," Nanako added. "Then we passed by here and well ..."

"I should have figured that'd happen," Dojima said. "That damn principal. We told him not to let any students through here."

"We should keep going Dad," Nanako said. "We were going to show Yu more places in Inaba."

"Ah, right," Dojima said, before turning his attention to Chie and Yukio. "I hope you get along with him—"

"That's not a problem Dad," Nanako interrupted with a smile, causing Yu, Chie, and Yukiko to nod. "They're getting along great!"

"But you four really ought to stop wandering around and head straight home," Dojima finished. As he turned around to return to the crime scene, another man dressed in a blue suit and a loose red tie ran past everyone, bent over when he reached the bushes and vomited.

"Looks like someone just witnessed the body first hand," Nanako said to herself.

"Adachi!" Dojima yelled towards the man in the suit. "How long are you going to act like a rookie? You want to be sent back to the central office?!"

"I-I'm sorry," Adachi replied as he cleared his throat, and adjusted his jacket.

"Clean your face," Dojima said with a sigh. "We're gonna go around and gather information."

"Can't blame him for puking," Yu said as Dojima and Adachi went around the police barrier.

"Hey," Chie said to everyone. "I know the plan was to go to Junes or the shopping district, but this is creepy. Why don't we go to some other time?"

"Good idea," Yukiko, Nanako and Yu said at the same time.

"Alright then, we're taking off," Chie said to Yu and Nanako, before focusing her attention on Yu. "Starting tomorrow neighbor, let's do our best!"

Yu nodded as Chie and Yukiko continued walking down the path, away from the crime scene.

"Let's just go home," Nanako said to Yu as they saw the stretcher with the body bag. "I feel like I'm going to vomit too."

Yu nodded as he remembered the dream in the Velvet Room, hoping this was not the disaster that the dream was talking about.

\- - - April 12, 2011 - - - 6:00 PM - - - Dojima House - - -

"Still no response," Nanako said as she put her phone down near the computer. "Sempai would have responded by now. It's not like her."

"She is probably busy," Yu said as he poured hot water into a mug. "I recall her saying she had a job. Maybe she can't take a break right now."

"You're probably right," Nanako said as she took a sip from a juice box, and turned on the television.

" _Our top story this evening concerns a bizarre case in a quiet suburb_ ," the reporter said as the television showed a crime scene near a river. " _Around noon today_ , _a woman was found dead near the Samegawa River in Inaba_."

"Definitely the same incident," Nanako said as she watched the television. "Dad will be working late if the media picked up on it."

" _The deceased has been identified as Mayumi Yamano_ , _a 27-year-old television announcer at Okina City_ ," the announcer on television said, showing a picture of a young woman with short hair, and wearing professional clothes.

"The reporter involved in the affair?" Nanako said with shock. "Half the detectives in Inaba will have to work on this case just to keep the paparazzi away!"

"It'll be alright," Yu said as he took another sip of his tea. "Dojima knows what he's doing."

"I know," Nanako said as she stood up and stretched. "That's his job, so this stuff happens."

" _The body was found hanging from a large television antenna atop a local resident's roof. Authorities are uncertain as to why the body was in such a state_ ," the television report continued

"Anyone would be confused about that," Yu said with shrug.

" _With the cause of death also uncertain_ , _police continue to investigate whether the death is an accident or a homicide_ ," the reporter on the television said. " _A thick fog common to the area has slowed their progress_ , _and plans to fully canvass the area are delayed until tomorrow_."

"Nobody hangs themselves accidentally on the top of a television antenna," Nanako said with a deadpan voice as the news went to a commercial break. "That still creeps me out."

"It would creep anyone out," Yu said as the cell phone by the computer gave off the Junes chime.

"Really Nanako?" Yu asked, somewhat amused by her choice of ring tone. "The Junes jingle?"

"I like the sound, and it's loud enough to hear," Nanako said to defend herself, while checking her phone, where she noticed she received two new text messages.

" _Crazy day. Will call u around 9_ " the first message read, which was from Saki.

She then went to read the second message.

" _Can't come home tonight. Have to continue the investigation._ " the second message read, which was from Dojima.

"No surprises there," Nanako said as she dialed another number and spoke to Yu. "I'm going to order Chinese takeout from Aiya. Do you want anything?"

"Maybe I can cook something?" Yu said as he got up to look inside the fridge. He frowned, finding the contents of the fridge lacking for his cooking needs.

"Yeah," Nanako said as she pressed a button. "I should have done food shopping today, but the incident happened, and—"

"I understand," Yu said with a shrug. "I'm going to start reading some of the books for class. Just order the same thing you're getting for yourself."

"You got it Big Bro," Nanako smiled as Yu went upstairs.

* * *

 _Author Note #3 Rant on Review Whores Hostage Takers (or RWHT)_

Most writers on this site, including myself, love to receive reviews, as it sometimes provides constructive critique to improve writing, and it validates that people like your work.

That said, there are some authors on this site who refuse to update a story unless a story reaches _x_ reviews. I call those writers Review Whore Hostage Takers, and it bugs me both as a reader and as a writer.

Rest assured, I will never do that. I'll update as fast as I can, which is usually about a week, give or take two days.

 _Author Note #4: Yu Narukami, Ladies Man_

Atlus wisely does not state who is the official girl, because they know it would lead to a massive internet backlash from somewhere. (e.g.: I recall the ridiculous backlash from the _Naruto_ fandom when it became official who the characters ended up with, including a petition to ban _Naruto_ from America!)

Of course, it doesn't stop me (and the majority of writers) from making a pairing in a story. To be honest, I can see Yu with _any_ of the women from the investigation team or female social links in his school due to how they all develop crushes on him.


End file.
